Missiles hit Israel as Blinken bids to revive Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire push

Israel and Hezbollah swap strikes arsenic US caput of authorities launches long-shot ceasefire plan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed successful Israel successful a bid to revive ceasefire talks to extremity the wars successful Gaza and Lebanon.

Blinken’s accomplishment connected Tuesday marks his 11th sojourn to the Middle East since the warfare successful Gaza began much than a twelvemonth ago. However, it is his archetypal since Israel’s struggle with Hezbollah escalated precocious past month, and expectations for his effort to rein successful the hostilities look low.

The sojourn got disconnected to an inauspicious commencement arsenic Hezbollah launched medium-range missiles towards Tel Aviv, temporarily shutting down Ben Gurion Airport, astatine which Blinken landed, according to Israeli media.

The US authoritative is owed to conscionable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and elder officials. As good arsenic seeking to restart talks connected a ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas arsenic good arsenic Hezbollah, Washington is besides wary of its ally’s intentions regarding subject retaliation for Iran’s October 1 rocket attack.

The US-led diplomatic efforts person frankincense acold failed to bring an extremity to the yearlong Gaza war and its spillover struggle betwixt Hezbollah and Israel. Fear persists that the hostilities volition escalate into a full-blown determination war.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom reported from Amman, Jordan, that Blinken’s prospects of securing diplomatic advancement during his travel are seen arsenic “really low”.

Change of strategy

Israel’s struggle with the Iran-linked equipped radical Hezbollah successful Lebanon has intensified successful caller weeks aft a twelvemonth of exchanges of occurrence crossed the border.

Early connected Tuesday, Hezbollah said it had launched volleys of rockets astatine 2 Israeli subject bases adjacent Tel Aviv arsenic good arsenic a naval basal successful Haifa.

Israel declared a authorities of exigency successful the Tel Aviv area, and the country’s exigency work said a antheral was wounded by falling fragments successful the bluish municipality of Ma’agan Michael.

“This is the archetypal clip we’ve seen medium-range missiles being utilized by Hezbollah,” said Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Hasbaiyya successful confederate Lebanon.

“Just past week, Hezbollah said they were going to alteration their strategy erstwhile it came to dealing with Israel,” helium noted, suggesting that the radical appears apt to motorboat akin medium-range weapons “again and again” successful the future.

In Lebanon, the Ministry of Public Health reported that 13 people, including a child, were killed and astatine slightest 57 wounded successful an overnight Israeli onslaught adjacent Rafik Hariri University Hospital successful confederate Beirut.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan, reporting from the Lebanese capital, said paramedics “are inactive digging done the rubble” successful the neighbourhood.

Limited hopes

The backdrop of unit to Blinken’s visit serves to exemplify the sparse anticipation that his sojourn volition effect successful a breakthrough.

“The rhetoric from Prime Minister Netanyahu and galore others successful his authorities arsenic good arsenic the Israeli absorption is successful a code of defiance, truthful it is an uphill conflict astatine this stage,” Jamjoom said.

That said, erstwhile Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin said helium hopes the travel volition astatine slightest “contribute to the enactment of a ceasefire”.

“It truly is clip to extremity this war. We are each paying a precise precocious price. We are each suffering,” helium told Al Jazeera.

After Israel, Blinken is besides scheduled to sojourn Jordan connected Wednesday and sermon humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip, an authoritative connected the level with him said.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies